Traditional analog three dimensional images up to the age of the computer were produced using multi-lens cameras. The resulting negatives were printed on photo-emulsions. The result was either viewed and saved or scanned and digitized for printing on a lenticular screen. These images were produced by printing separate frames of the same image behind each lens. The individual frames were offset by an operator independently adjusting the depths of field relative to a central object in a central frame.
Analog Photography Techniques
Analog photography techniques for taking and methods of composing stereoscopic pictures employing a lenticular lens and controlling depth of field are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,563 entitled Methods and Apparatus for Taking and Composing Stereoscopic Pictures, U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,585 entitled System and Camera for Controlling Depth of Field in Three-dimensional Photography, U.S. Pat. No. 4,124,291 entitled Control of Depth of Field in Three Dimensional Photography, U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,867 entitled Three Dimensional Pictures and Method of Composing Them, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,354 entitled Stereoscopic Photograph Composition Apparatus.
Micro Optical Material (M.O.M.)
Improvements in methods, process and apparatus for making and forming lenticular plastic sheets, foils, and lenticular-coated substrates are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,351 entitled Method of Making Lenticular Plastics and Products Therefrom, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,003 entitled Method and Apparatus for Making Lenticular Plastic. It is recognized that Micro Optical Material (M.O.M.) brand lens material is preferred for application of the methods disclosed herein.
3D Printing
Improvements in methods, process and apparatus for printing on lenticular sheets are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,080 entitled Method and Apparatus for Direct Printing on a Lenticular Foil, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,136,938 entitled System and Method for Printing on Lenticular Sheets.
The above listed patents relate to the analog (silver halide or ink to plastic direct printing) process for making a substrate to reproduce or print an analog image on lenticular sheet or foil. During the interphase step, under these patents, an operator could pick a key subject frame within the picture. Then the multiple frames were scanned/exposed into the lenticular medium (with silver halide coating). By scanning/exposing through the lenticular screen a number of the image errors due to manufacturing were eliminated by the lenticular material. Moreover, the image that was scanned in would look exceptional since errors were compensated for because the light path in and out was accounted for in the lenticular material.
With the advent of computers with higher processing speeds, large RAM and storage provides a hardware platform for the generation of digital multi-dimensional images that can be printed or viewed directly on a viewing screen designed to accept the appropriate digital multidimensional image. The digital multidimensional images may be viewed using barrier screens or lens arrays, such as micro-optical material (MOM).
Image System
Previous methods for digitally generating images for display through lenticular media are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,760,021 entitled Multi-dimensional Image System for Digital Image Input and Output, U.S. Pat. No. 7,019,865 entitled Method for Scaling and Interlacing Multidimensional and Motion Images, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,639,838 entitled Multi-dimensional Images System for Digital Image Input and Output.
However, viewing of the resulting digital multidimensional images in the above listed methods can present problems due to alignment of the image to the barrier screens or lens arrays. Misalignment results in jumping images, out of focus, or fuzzy features when viewing the digital multidimensional images. The viewing of these images can lead to headaches and nausea.
One disadvantage of this approach is that lenticular image design is limited in that it relies on a lenticular “artist” to compose by visual trial and error. This process involves experimentation to find the best combination of parameters to make a lenticular image look right to the human visual system. However, this traditional process accounts for only a few of the possible parameters. The adjustments currently used are manual at best. Parallax is judged by the human visual system selecting values based on what looks correct. Using manual and artistic calibrations limits accuracy and reduces the lenticular image three dimensional and/or motion effect.
Moreover, another disadvantage of this approach is that double images occur and are usually caused by an exaggeration of the three dimensional effect from angles of view or an insufficient number of frames. Poor composition can lead to doubling, small jumps, a fuzzy image, or where foreground and background are fuzzy or shaded, especially on objects in relief or in depth.
Still another disadvantage of this approach is that ghosting occurs due to poor treatment of the source images, and also due to transitions where demand for an effect goes beyond the limits and technical possibilities of the system. This causes images to remain visible when they should disappear.
Certain of the above listed patents relate to a system for digital interphasing. During the interphase step, under these patents, an operator could pick the key subject as a frame but not as a point and in addition the parallax is not calculated. Here the interphase step was performed by the computer; however, errors from the lenticular material and manufacturing processes were not compensated for during the interphase step.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a recognizable unmet need for a digital multi-dimensional photon image platform system and methods of use. The methods and system perform the appropriate functions to compose digital multidimensional images that are sharply focused and free of jumping images or fuzzy features. The methods and system unify variables from the precise production of the micro-optical material, output device, to the rule of interphasing around a key subject point within a calculated parallax (minimum and maximum), and to the control of the parallax relative to the micro-optical material or other viewing screens. Careful attention to these variables is basic to the production of high quality output images both in the form of a printed hardcopy or as a viewed multidimensional image on an appropriate viewing device(s). Images produced by the methods or system are pleasing to the eye by matching the psychological and physiological requirements of the human visual system.